4.19.2006

On terrorist recruiting in the Balkans: "Terrorists have been working to recruit non-Arab sympathizers - so-called "white Muslims" with Western features who theoretically could more easily blend into European cities and execute attacks - according to classified intelligence documents obtained by The Associated Press.

A 252-page confidential report jointly compiled by Croatian and U.S. intelligence on potentially dangerous Islamic groups in Bosnia suggests the recruitment drive may have begun as long as four years ago, when Arab militants ran up against tough post-9/11 security obstacles."

My story Jihadists Find Convenient Base in Bosniaof last year, made waves across Eastern Europe, where government officials and a UN official vociferously denied there could be such activity in Bosnia. That was before they found otherwise. Discoveries that followed included explosives caches, suicide bombing-vests, other weapons, and a terrorist leader code-named "Maximus" who was allegedly plotting to bomb the White House among other targets, and who was linked to networks in other countries.